1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns alternators in general, including for automobiles.
More specifically, the invention concerns an alternator, particularly for an automobile, that includes a stator equipped with a cylindrical body that has several phases; each phase includes, first, an intake and an outtake located at least in part on the exterior of the stator body and, second, electric conducting elements that cross the body of the stator to form the first and second chignons from the two axial sides opposite the stator; the conducting elements are electrically connected to each other to form at least one winding that connects the phase inputs to the phase outputs, and the inputs are composed of bars that have at least one longitudinal flat surface extending along at least a part of the bar and each input contains a first segment that crosses the body of the stator and a second end segment that extends from the axial side of this body; the second segments of the inputs are located on the same axial side of the stator body and are electrically connected to form a neutral point.
2. Background Art
Devices of this type are known from previous technology, primarily through the French patent application 0116658, which will be published under number FR-A-2 818 822 in the name of VALEO, which shows an alternator, the neutral point of which can be made by arranging the phase inputs in different ways. The inputs are rectangular bars, that present opposite, relatively wide, longitudinal flat surfaces that are called flats and opposing, relatively narrow longitudinal flat surfaces called edges.
The body of the stator includes narrow, radial notches, and the input bars are engaged in these notches so that the flats of the first segments each extend into a significantly radial plane.
The inputs are formed so that their second segments present the form of portions of coaxial cylinders in the body of the rotor. The flats constitute the axial surfaces of these cylinder portions, and the edges are the interior and exterior radial surfaces. Thus, the second segments are obtained by laterally bending the first segments, i.e. on the side of either of the flats.
The inputs are in contact with each other or with the neutral bar through the flats of their second segments. The neutral bar and the second segments of the inputs are thus stacked axially.
This arrangement offers a defect because if it is very difficult to weld the inputs between them or on the neutral bar after bending the electrically conducting elements, because there is not enough space available to introduce the welding head axially.
Patent documents EP 1 143 596 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,903 reveal alternators that containing stators the three inputs of which are combined at one neutral point. A first input includes a second axial end segment; the flats of this second segment extend into radial planes. The second segments of the other two inputs have, as in French patent application 01 16658, the form of coaxial cylinder portions in the body of the rotor. The flats constitute the axial surfaces of these cylinder portions, and the edges constitute the interior and exterior radial surfaces. These cylinder portions each extend through an axial part; these axial parts are placed through a flat onto the two flats opposite the second segment of the first input.
This arrangement allows welding the inputs to each other after bending the pins, but presents the defect of increasing the axial size of the chignon carrying the inputs.